


In the Recording Studio with You

by littlejeanniebean



Series: Harry Potter/Marauders Music AUs [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Music, Bad Matchmaking, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Idiots in Love, M/M, Matchmaking, Mutual Pining, Songwriting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:34:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26796715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlejeanniebean/pseuds/littlejeanniebean
Summary: “Remus!” Lily hissed. “What did I tell you about poking around other people’s private —”“Sirius!” James balled his fists. “What did I tell you about insulting people when you mean to tell them that you actually like them?”“Okay, your problem child is weirder than mine.” Lily cast him a sideways glance.In his peripheral vision — sans the power of his glasses, curse the prominent bridge of his nose — all he saw was flaming red hair. “Wanna switch?”“No!” Remus protested. “I mean, no offense, James, but… I’ve worked with you and… you’re great, but Lily doesn’t need to be pining for someone from a safe distance to be able to write a good song.”“I’m a method writer, okay?” James huffed.Lily felt her heart stutter at the thought of the beautifully bespectacled man liking someone who wasn’t her. Quickly, she shook herself out of it. They’ve just met, after all.Or:Jily are songwriters for Wolfstar, but totally start projecting their own mutual pining into the lyrics.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Series: Harry Potter/Marauders Music AUs [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1945612
Comments: 33
Kudos: 53





	1. Method Writer

**Author's Note:**

> Starting yet another AU in this series before the other one's even near finished is unsustainable you say? Sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of my amazing ideas that I will write in whatever order I choose, thank you. 😂😅

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you can find your beaming hearts emoji prompt in here, Aly xx

"Hello!" a wild-haired man accosted her out of nowhere. "It's such a pleasure to meet you, Lily! I'm James, Sirius' co-writer, as you know, probably. You seem like the kind of person who reads their emails. Not that I'm making any assumptions about the kind of person you are —"

"You done?" Although her words were terse, Lily's tone was light. James was a welcome change from her last co-writer, whose monotonous voice could only ever put people to sleep and then possibly give them nightmares.

James whipped off his thin-rimmed glasses so harshly they might've broken had they not also been quite bendy. As he wiped them vigorously, he said, "Almost. How do you feel about trumpets?"

"In pop music? Sadly underrated." Lily shook her head, making her way to the studio in the back.

James beamed so his heart was written all over his face. "I _knew_ it! We're going to get along great!"

"There is no way — _no_ way! — I am working with this — this —" Sirius Black, the Prince of Pop himself, seemed to be at a loss for words as he gestured to a tall, sweater-swathed brunet with three prominent scars beside his left eye, one diagonally across the bridge of his nose, and surgically precise ones just under his bottom lip and below his chin. 

"I think the word he's looking for is 'underdog,'" said sweater-boy, also known as Remus Lupin, the indie-electro singer-songwriter whom Lily worked for. 

"Siriusly?" James groaned. "We've talked about this. A collab will put you both firmly in the top five for weeks if not _months_ —"

"No, you've talked _at_ me about this, but now you'll hear me out! I am a _solo_ act, James Fleamont Potter!" Sirius' gray eyes were cold as steel.

"He's a big fan of yours," James tried to assure Remus. "Really."

"Oh, I believe you." Remus smirked. "Saw his little fanboy shrine in Studio B —"

"Which I explicitly told you was _private!_ " Sirius cut in.

“Remus!” Lily hissed. “What did I tell you about poking around other people’s private —”

“Sirius!” James balled his fists. “What did I tell you about insulting people when you mean to tell them that you actually like them?”

“Okay, your problem child is weirder than mine.” Lily cast him a sideways glance. 

In his peripheral vision — sans the power of his glasses, curse the prominent bridge of his nose — all he saw was flaming red hair. “Wanna switch?”

“No!” Remus protested. “I mean, no offense, James, but… I’ve worked with you and… you’re great, but Lily doesn’t need to be pining for someone from a safe distance to be able to write a good song.”

“I’m a method writer, okay?” James huffed.

Lily felt her heart stutter at the thought of the beautifully bespectacled man liking someone who wasn’t her. Quickly, she shook herself out of it. They’ve just met, after all. 

“Who’s the lucky one for today’s writing session?” she asked instead.

Sirius seemed to forget his own troubles as he smiled like a Cheshire cat. “It’s —”

“And a one, and a two, and a —” James hit play on a sampler track and turned up the volume.

Lily pointedly turned the knob back down. “We need to be able to hear ourselves think, no?”

James smiled sheepishly, but all shyness vanished when she complimented his mixing skills. 

She tapped her foot to the beat and began humming.

_Love runs just like she should_

_Through meadows and the wood_

_Like a child she shows me_

_Who I am and can be_

_She’s running and_

_I’m chasing and_

_We run straight into you_

“Hey, Remus, old chap.” Sirius sidled up to him after James had built up the track around Lily’s lyrics. “I feel really bad about the way I acted earlier. Can I treat you to a macchiato? Or a cappuccino? Or pistachio?”

“That’s not even a —”

Sirius elbowed him and wiggled his eyebrows significantly.

“I don’t know what you mean! Just use words!” Remus laughed.

The sound made Sirius’ ears flush. He whipped out his phone and texted him something. 

James and Lily watched their exchange curiously. 

Remus’ eyes widened at the text, which James assumed was NSFW, knowing Sirius. Then he immediately agreed to go for a macchiato, cappuccino, pistachio, or whatever Sirius really had in mind.

“So… what kind of chorus are we thinking?” Lily asked, snapping him out of his musings. 

He’d heard stories about her from other producers, engineers, and eventually, Sirius, who had technically been fanboying over Remus, but one was never mentioned without the other, much like James and Sirius’ own partnership. Working with her now, he still couldn’t believe he’d witnessed her come up with a fully-formed verse on the spot. She had a voice that, while not stadium-worthy, was perfect for a lullaby or singing in the car or karaoke. And usually, James would be itching to try his hand at a chorus, but he really wanted to impress her and it was making him second guess every line that would pop into his head. 

“Uh…” he felt his cheeks heat up. “Key change?”

“Stripped down key change?” Lily suggested. “That’s kind of become Remus’ signature —”

“I loved that in ‘Bite Me,’ especially!” James enthused, constructing a sampler on his laptop. “Really brought out the sass.”

“Thank you. I’ll tell him that.” She laughed. She had a lovely laugh. 

And James was a method writer.

_When you laugh the sound floats up_

_And I see it meet the sun_

_All I feel feels like too much_

_Too soon to say I’m in love_

_But_

_When you smile your face lights up_

_And I feel the world I’ve won_

_Don’t know what this is yet but_

_I can, I will, for you, love_

In the coffee shop across the street, Sirius checked his watch. 

“Okay, knowing James, he’s just revealed his intentions, which are either about to be rejected or reciprocated, so we should go back with a blueberry bagel.”

Remus blinked. “I know those clauses make sense individually, but I don’t —”

“Blueberry is James’ comfort and celebratory flavor,” Sirius explained.

Remus sighed fondly. “I’ve forgotten how high maintenance he is.”

“Oh yeah.” Sirius polished off his coffee (black as his name, he says). “He’s a lot of work.”

“But he’s our lot of work,” Remus finished, slurping up the last of his chocolate milkshake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Jily content [@littlejeanniebean](https://littlejeanniebean.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr!


	2. Blueberry Bagel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A song for Pet*nia and Walb*rga featuring the words: surgeon, houseplant, and taco, which were provided by pianistbynight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LIIIIIVEEEE Hello! How are you doing?

“So?” Sirius proffered a blueberry bagel.

James accepted it, a confused look on his face. “Thanks?”

Remus leaned in as well, slurping his chocolate milkshake. 

“What did she think?” Sirius pressed.

“About?” James munched his bagel. 

“You didn’t tell her, did you?” Remus sighed.

“What did I get you a bagel for, then?” Sirius bellowed.

“Tell her _what?_ ” James hated feeling like he was missing something.

“You pull all kinds of strings to get her to fly here from America to work with us. You force me to agree to a collab with this — this —”

“Underrated, but gifted indie artist whose star is on the rise?” Remus checked his peach-colored manicure with exaggerated motions of his long piano fingers.

“Yeah!” said Sirius. 

“Okay, I’m back!” Lily breezed in, cell phone in hand. “Sorry, it was my sister.” She made a face. 

“Alright, Evans?” asked James. 

Lily nodded, a determined, almost vindictive look on her face. “Let’s write a song.” 

_You’re a surgeon of the greatest precision_

_You cut and you poke and you stitch up your patient_

_But you’re also the chronic illness that plagues them_

_So before they know, they’re on your table again_

_You’re a model woman, wife, and mother_

_With your house and your houseplants_

_And yet you find time to pull me under_

_To the tune of a late-night telly laugh-track_

“Woah,” said Sirius. “Can I play this for my mother? She’d hate it. It’s perfect!” 

Lily made a go-ahead motion with her fingers. “Ugh, why do I suck at choruses?” 

Remus nudged James slightly. 

James frowned at him.

Remus nudged James more vigorously.

James frowned more deeply at him.

Remus took away James’ blueberry bagel.

“Hey!” James reached for it, but Remus was taller and held it just out of reach. 

“Inspired yet?” he raised an eyebrow at James.

“Lupin —”

“Hold that thought.” Remus then took a big bite out of James’ bagel. 

“Oh-ho, if that’s how you want to play!” James did what he called a chord-smash, put it on loop, and layered it over some angry-sounding thunder effect. “Lily, would you say your sister is petty?”

“With a capital ‘P,’” she said.

“Then the chorus should focus on something about her that really irks you for just as petty a reason.”

Lily shook her head. “No, it can’t be too specific. Not if Sirius wants to use it on his mother —”

“Oh, no, go ahead,” Sirius interjected. “Nothing will aggravate her more.”

Lily looked at James, who was grinning at her expectantly. 

_Remember that time we went to L.A._

_And you ruined taco trucks for me_

_Remember that time we went to the beach_

_And you ruined ice cream for me_

_Remember that time we went our separate ways_

_And you vowed to ruin me_

Lily spun around in her chair so she wouldn’t have to look at the boys for a while. “Well, that didn’t have much focus at all —”

“Doesn’t matter!” James declared. “That was amazing!”

“I have to know this taco truck story now,” said Sirius. 

“Is it just one flavor of ice cream or the dessert as a whole?” Remus inquired, seemingly genuinely concerned that all ice cream could be ruined for someone. 

Lily blushed at their praise. “Thanks. I feel like we should split the verses into first and second.” 

James took the opportunity to snatch his bitten bagel back from Remus. “Alright, boys, get in there —” he gestured towards the soundproof booth. “— and sing your hearts out.”

As soon as Sirius and Remus were out of earshot, James turned to Lily. “Right, so the boys have got it to their heads that I fancy you or something and that’s why I wanted to work with you, but that’s not the case. It’s just a lot of professional respect with a side of fanboying. The two of them on the other hand —” He jabbed a thumb in the direction of the booth. “— are obviously a match made in heaven. They just don’t know it yet.”

Lily blinked. “That was a lot to digest.”

“Take your time.” James smiled amiably and turned towards his laptop to fiddle with the equalizers.

"Oi!" Sirius tapped on the glass. "You gonna hit record any time soon?"

"Er, right!" Lily hit the speaker button. "Sorry!" Then she hit record.

Lily tried not to be the kind of person who would get so caught up in making themselves attractive enough to, well, _attract_ someone. That didn't mean her heart hadn't sunk at James' declaration that his was a purely professional interest in her. It was especially frustrating considering that her last co-writing relationship had ended in disaster precisely _because_ her co-writer had been interested in her _un_ professionally.

She poured all of her conflicting emotions into the bridge later that day.

_The sad thing is if you came back_

_(Right now)_

_Into my life_

_And apologized_

_(Right now)_

_I'd've forgiven you for the sake of all we had_

_(By now)_

_In that other life_

_But now you're out of time_

_(Bye now)_

* * *

Lily couldn't explain the funk she'd been in since that day they wrote _two_ songs. She'd never tired herself out mentally, never could when it came to music. But there she was three weeks later with Andy and Dora Tonks, picking outfits for the music video.

She didn't really have to be there, but Remus' regular stylist was stuck in an airport and he didn't trust James (too plaid) or Sirius' (too polka-dotted) fashion advice. 

Their song, "Remember Ruins" was playing over the speakers to set the mood.

"Oh, crap!" Dora almost dropped the most sparkly pair of pink trousers Lily had ever seen. "Wally's back!"

"Don't let her hear you call her that," hissed Andy, grabbing the outfits Remus and Sirius had (finally) decided on. 

At the same time, Sirius said, "Turn it up, James!"

"You've got it!" James whipped out his phone and blasted the song from the beginning.

"What is that racket?" Walburga Black, the empress of one of England's largest fashion houses, BLACK, burst into the walk-in closet and dressing rooms. She locked eyes with Sirius and practically seethed.

"This song is for you, Mother!" He beamed, giving her the finger.

The lyrics were too loud to be mistaken.

Walburga looked like she was about to throw a tantrum right there, but James was livestreaming the whole thing onto Sirius' Instagram, so she couldn't and that only made her more angry. 

Lily had heard rumors ( _The Devil Wears Prada_ kind) about Walburga Black. And judging by the way all the employees on the floor scurried to try to make her as comfortable as possible despite the presence of her eldest son (who, Lily had read, but could not get Sirius to confirm, had apparently funded a lawsuit filed by several employees who wanted better treatment), those rumors were true.

"There's a back door just here." Andy pointed them towards the other end of the closet, near the shoes. "Always nice seeing you, Sirius."

"You too, Andy." He ruffled Dora's short purple hair. "Cuz."

She stuck her tongue out at him. She was filming everything now too to edit into a TikTok. (Walburga-bashing TikToks were always trending.)

"Come on, Lily!" James took her arm gently but firmly and ushered her out the door. "Don't want to mess with her head of security, Greyback. Got into a bar fight with him once. Two broken ribs, one black eye, and a jaw wired shut for a week."

"You or him?" Lily quipped back as they got into the car.

James grinned winningly. "Thank you for not assuming it was me. I really appreciate that."

Lily felt her stomach flip.

"It was him," Remus supplied, pulling out of the warehouse driveway. "It was absolutely him."

James pouted.

Lily laughed and ruffled his hair.

Unbidden, James' heart stuttered. Why was it always on a mission to make him a liar? Ooh, that was a good one. He had to write that down. 

He just had to survive keeping things professional with Lily for as long as Sirius and Remus' back-to-back singles promo took. Then he could ask her out without any complications. It was only a month. That wasn't so long. 

Well, what do you know. Whoever said one little lie leads to another had a very good point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY LAST WEEK OF JILYTOBERRRR


	3. A Song to Fall in Love To

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, witches! ;) ALSO! Shoutout to Gushky for motivating me to write this out of NOWHERE <3

"So, they'll have plenty of time together alone while doing promo but we need to write them a song they can fall in love to," James explained. "That should seal the deal!"

"Got it." Lily rubbed her hands together, mischief glinting in her bright green eyes. 

She put on a sampler track in her New York studio. (Wolfstar, as their fans and shippers have taken to calling Remus and Sirius, were performing in Times Square and opening in Madison Square, so the songwriters were together alone too.)

James grabbed a pen and paper and began writing. 

He’d read up on Lily even before they’d come to work together, so he knew all about the harassment charges and restraining orders against her last co-writer and he was very self-aware of his lack of self-awareness at times (thank you, Remus). But unless Lily was planning on making the first move, he might be stuck in the friendzone for eternity, considering how much Sirius’ and Remus’ teams wanted them to keep working together.

“Okay, I think I have something.” James hit record.

_ Isn't it strange to know so much about someone else? _

_ But I guess that's just the age that we live in _

_ Isn't it strange to show so much? Just look me up on the internet _

_ Then I guess your fingertips can know all there is _

_ But give me that look across the room _

_ Give me that serenade on a balcony _

_ Call me cliché, so long as you call me _

_ And give me that good old-fashioned lovin' _

_ Any day _

Oh yeah, that was definitely a song to fall in love to, thought Lily, watching the veins in James' neck become prominent as he hit the high notes similar to how Remus and Sirius would. His voice wasn't perfect or professional by any means, but she loved where it scratched and thinned and gave itself a whole personality that could only belong to James. 

A stray tendril of dark, wavy hair fell over his glasses, and Lily (painfully) resisted the urge to brush it back. 

"May I?" she asked him, feeling so much,  _ too _ much to keep inside. She  _ had _ to write,  _ had _ to sing. 

James nodded at her to go ahead, lifting his pen and paper higher as he flexed his forearm and hand. 

_ Isn't it strange how city streets now make my heart sing? _

_ When I grew up in the country among hills and trees _

_ Isn't it strange how you make me feel like singing? _

_ When I grew up thinking love was just for dreamers and dreams _

_ Oh, give me that look the way you do _

_ Give me that serenade like only you play _

_ Call me cliché, so long as you call me _

_ And give me that good old-fashioned lovin' _

_ Any day _

The next day, Sirius took one look at the lyrics and glanced back up at Remus, who was already whistling along to the demo track. He was a goner, for sure. 

“Remus, can I speak to you a moment?” He grabbed the tall, ruggedly handsome man out of the studio. “So, clearly, they’re in love.”

“They  _ have _ to be to have written this while they were  _ alone, _ ” Remus immediately agreed.

Sirius beamed. Crisis averted. He couldn’t be nervous or bashful or any of that disgusting stuff people did when they were in love if he was too busy plotting to get his best mate laid, or better yet, married. 

“Do you think they need a little more… encouragement?” asked Remus. His smirk wasn’t quite so devilish as the one Sirius could muster, but it was its knowing understatedness that went straight to Sirius’, er, heart, yeah, that’s where it went. 

So, the crisis was not quite averted, then. “Let’s brainstorm. Separately. And then compare notes.”

Remus nodded, running his thumb over the light brown stubble on his cheek, drawing Sirius’ attention to it. “Like I always say, efficiency is sexy.”

“You have never, literally never, ever said that. Why would you start saying that?”  _ Are you trying to kill me? _ Sirius bemoaned inwardly. 

“Ah, you know me.” Remus waved him off, that damned holding-in-laughter smirk playing across his lips. “I give dark academia a whole  _ new _ meaning.”

Sirius turned around and reentered the darkened studio, where it was more difficult, but certainly not impossible, to see that his face was beet red. “How’s the bridge coming?”

“Dunno why it insists on fighting us,” James sighed.

“We did make some progress while you two were gone —”

Remus didn’t allow Lily to finish her sentence. “Did you? Excellent! We’ll spend more time out of your way, then! Come on, Sirius, I owe you a coffee anyway.” 

Both singers grabbed their jackets (leather for Sirius, suede for Remus) and left the studio in a great rustle and bustle. 

In the silence that followed, Lily and James locked eyes.

“They’re banging,” they concluded in unison.

“Mission accomplished!” James declared, selecting a celebratory blueberry muffin from the gift basket someone had left for Sirius. 

Suddenly, Lily jumped up, her samurai half-updo bouncing atop her head. “Trumpets! We’re missing trumpets!”

James waved his hands excitedly while chewing (he couldn’t say what he wanted to say right away). “ _ Layered _ trumpets!”

“And flamenco guitar!” Lily picked up her acoustic. She usually favored her electric, which didn’t dwarf her small frame as much. She shed her layers to more comfortably get her arms around the instrument. Then she noticed James staring at her. “You’ve got some blueberry on your face.”

“Oh.” James grabbed a napkin in no particular hurry. 

His lack of self-awareness when he was in school (the stories Remus had told her were  _ almost _ enough to make Lily reconsider her rapidly growing emotional attachment to him) had grown into a healthy lack of self-consciousness that never failed to draw her in. 

“Ready?” Lily asked watching him raise a trumpet to his lips.

“Whenever you are.” James grinned, sitting beside her on the couch. The hand that wasn’t holding the trumpet was absently fidgeting with a drumstick (its partner had long since gone missing in action and will be dearly missed). 

Lily hit record and sang with her full chest, a bit of hoarseness coming through after a whole day of singing just this taxing verse.

_ And when the times get strange and the people are strangers _

_ I can always turn to you, my man of mischief, daring danger _

_ To take my bad and my good side, rainy, sunny side _

_ And you call me cliché, or whatever you like when you’re mine _

“I love y—it!” James exclaimed before stuffing the rest of his blueberry muffin into his face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! Let me know either way, of course! I love feedback :)


End file.
